Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Specialty Schools

Recently, I was looking for information on a school here in Arizona that specially caters to kids with high-functioning autism/Asperger's. I'd heard it was a private school and I'd heard it was a charter school. Turns out it's a private school and a pricey one at that!

What are your experiences with having your Aspie in a mainstream school? Private school? Homeschool?

The Bible says that we, as parents or guardians, are responsible for training our children. Do you think that extends to their schooling, as well?

I'm interested in your thoughts and experiences!
(Please only answer the questions in this post and do not comment on comments. Thank you!)

-Noble

Friday, June 4, 2010

You Are What You Eat

You've heard that phrase, right? "You are what you eat." Jordin Ruben likes to say, "You are what your food has eaten." Either way, it makes sense to be careful of what we put into our bodies. Before you go running away screaming and thinking I'm going to tell you you can't eat this but you can eat that, relax. I'm not going there. But I do want to ponder, briefly, the possible effects of diet (what we eat) on those with Asperger's Syndrome.

Shonda Schilling, in her book "The Best Kind of Different" states that there's not enough conclusive evidence on how food affects Asperger's and so she and her husband decided to not even go that route with their son. Honestly, I don't know what the studies show. However, I do know that food can affect how you feel and, sometimes, even how you act. How do I know this? I struggle with hypoglycemia. Some foods, especially if eaten at certain times of the day, really make my blood sugar spike and then plummet to the point where I get sweaty, clammy, my vision may blur, and I get really sleepy. Now, if I don't eat for a long time between meals, my stomach tightens, my head hurts, I get cranky and get hyper-focused on ONE thing: finding food!

I tell you all this because I want you to know that various foods CAN affect us in adverse ways. So, while some may gloss over the idea that Asperger's is affected by what we eat, I think it's at least worth an initial trial to see how foods affect you, or your child, with Asperger's. I found a site with an initial eating plan to rule out various foods. Unlike other "initial eating plans" I've seen, this one looks relatively simple. Granted, if you're a carbaholic like I am, it may be difficult, emotionally, to follow it but think about it's worth if it helps your Aspie kid, or your Aspie self, function better in the world!
I'm going to follow this plan, starting in about two weeks (waiting for pay day), with my daughter:

http://www.itoldyouiwassick.com/About_Me.html

Would you like to try it with us? Or have you found something that works, or doesn't work, for you when it comes to food? Please leave a comment and let us know!

-Noble